LASTING LEGACY
As the blue, black, and white flags fly at half-mast across the country, the community of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Botswana have joined the nation in mourning the passing of former President Dr Festus Gontebanye Mogae.
For the veterans of the epidemic, the movement as they would prefer it to be regarded, especially those who survived the dark days of the late 90s and early 2000s, Former President Mogae was more than a statesman. He was the man who gave them back their lives.
Among those leading the tributes is David Chizao Ngele, the first Motswana man to go public about his HIV-positive status.
Speaking with visible emotion, Ngele reflected on the deep bond he shared with the late President, a partnership that transformed the national response from one of silence and shame to one of action and dignity.
The early days of stigma according to Ngele’s journey began in 1993, a time when an HIV diagnosis was widely seen as a death sentence. The weight of public scrutiny and internal stigma after his ground-breaking interview on Radio Botswana’s Maokaneng programme, almost led him to regret his openness.
'The stigma was rampant,' Ngele noted.
However, it was the structural support introduced under Mogae’s vision that kept him going. He credited the then AIDS/STD Unit and the Red Cross for providing the counselling that allowed him to transition from a patient to an activist.
Building the foundation, Veterans of the movement remember Mogae’s presidency from 1998 to 2008 as the era when the government resonated the call to support its people. Under his leadership, HIV/AIDS was no longer just a health issue but a national priority.
Mogae mandated the creation of AIDS committees at every level of government, from ministerial departments to rural outposts such as District Multi Sectoral AIDS Committees (DMSAC) and Village Multi-Sectoral AIDS Committees (DMSAC).
These structures eventually supported, through various capacity building thematic areas and psychosocial support to the support groups that formed the backbone of the Botswana Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (BONEPWA+).
Ngele, who would go on to serve as the organisation's Chairperson and Executive Director, remembered how Mogae personally championed these groups, ensuring that the voices of the infected were heard in the highest offices of the land.
At global partnership, Ngele recounted how Dr Mogae did not just talk about HIV but walked the path with those living with it. The President famously invited Ngele to join him in international conferences, using the activist’s lived experience to lobby global donors for funding.
This advocacy paved the way for Botswana becoming the first country in Africa to provide free Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) to its citizens in 2002.
'He told us to go all out and talk to Batswana, and share our personal experiences with the world,' Ngele said.
Chizao as he prefers to be called, with a light smile to brighten his sad face posture, said Mogae wanted everyone to test and know their status because he believed that knowledge was the only way to save the nation.
Regarding a holistic HIV/AIDS response through Food Security, Ngele specifically highlighted Mogae’s commitment to looking beyond medication.
A cornerstone of this was the food security component, recognised as the first line of defence. With technical coordination from the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) based in Zambia and financial assistance from the Swedish government (SIDA).
This initiative empowered PLHIV through the BONEPWA+ Food Security Programme by sustaining livelihoods and supporting PLHIV support groups and their families.
They were supplied with Tswana chickens and seeds for horticulture, allowing them to improve household nutrition and farm incomes.
'This initiative was successful and helped many PLHIV survivors sustain themselves,' Ngele noted. However, he expressed sadness that after Rre Mogae stepped down; the programme gradually declined and eventually died.
“Nna tota ke utlwile botlhoko thata waitse,” Ngele said, expressing his deep hurt, saying Rre Mogae leaves a lasting legacy for the elderly and the PLHIV support group pioneers across the country, many of who could not manage to attend the memorial services to honour his memory.
Another veteran PLHIV from Letlhakeng, in the Kweneng region, Oatlhotse Segwagwa shared that Mogae’s passing marks the end of an era. He credited Mogae’s undisputed legacy to the fact that they are alive today to see their grandchildren grow.
As Botswana completes its period of national mourning, the sentiment from the HIV community is clear that Dr Festus Gontebanye Mogae did not just lead a country but saved a generation.